The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of blanket flower, an herbaceous perennial that is grown for use as an ornamental landscape and container plant. The new invention is known botanically as Gaillardia×grandiflora and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’. Gaillardia is in the family Compositae, under which the commonly referred to “flower” is actually the inflorescence, and is made up of smaller ray florets and disc florets. The ray florets themselves have the appearance of “petals”.
‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ arose in the summer of 2002 at the inventor's nursery in Hampshire, England as a single chance seedling which was discovered, isolated and then asexually propagated by the inventor as described herein.
The inventor had grown a crop of plants of the variety Gaillardia ‘Dazzler’ (unpatented), hereinafter referred to as ‘Dazzler’, from commercially available seed of ‘Dazzler’ which the inventor had sown in February 2002. In June or July 2002, by which time the seedlings of ‘Dazzler’ had been transplanted into 9 cm diameter containers and were in flower, the inventor observed a single plant which displayed larger inflorescences with an uncharacteristic orange coloration of the ray florets. Each ray floret was observed to be approximately twenty-five percent longer and broader than the typical ray floret of ‘Dazzler’. The inflorescences themselves were observed to be flat or planar rather than concave as is typical of ‘Dazzler’.
The female parent of ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ is Gaillardia ‘Dazzler’ (unpatented). The male parent plant is unknown. ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ differs from the parent plant, Gaillardia ‘Dazzler’ in respect of the coloration of its ray florets, the size and form of each inflorescence, the overall height and habit of a mature plant, and fertility or sterility. Specifically, the ray florets of ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ are colored orange and yellow, whereas the ray florets of ‘Dazzler’ are colored predominantly red; an individual inflorescence of ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ is approximately twenty-five percent larger than an individual inflorescence of ‘Dazzler’ and is also flat rather than concave in form; a mature plant of ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ is 10 cm to 20 cm taller than ‘Dazzler’ and is also more stiffly erect; and ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ is sterile whereas ‘Dazzler’ is fertile and sets viable seed.
The first asexual reproduction of ‘ORANGES AND LEMONS’ was accomplished in September 2002 when the inventor removed and rooted approximately ten nodal cuttings from the originally discovered and isolated plant. The cuttings rooted successfully and since that time subsequent generations have been determined stable and true to type when compared with the original selection which the inventor has retained.